FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Erika McMillan, Director of Marketing

erika@cowans.com

513.871.1670 ext.30

COWAN’S AUCTIONS, INC. TOPS $1.2 MILLION IN JANUARY 27 ASIAN ART AUCTION

CINCINNATI, OH – February 1, 2012— Cowan’s Auctions January 27 Asian Art

Auction realized $1.2 million in sales on 403 lots. With nearly 800 bidders on

the telephone, online and in the gallery the competition for many of the jade,

porcelain and ivory collections was intense.

The highlight of the auction was the collection of jade assembled by the late

Mr. Richard C. Friedman of Shaker Heights, OH. Friedman’s collection brought

numerous Asian dealers and collectors from across the globe to the Cowan’s

salesroom because of its superb merit. The highest selling lot in the sale, an

Archaistic Jadeite Lidded Wine Vessel (pictured below), was from Friedman’s

collection and hammered

down at $132,000.  Another piece from his collection, a White Jade Hu-Form

Lidded Vase realized $119, 850 to a bidder who traveled from outside of the

U.S. specifically for this piece.

Additional note-worthy lots in the auction included a Chinese Rosewood Chair,

which hammered down at $36,000 and a group of Chinese Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid

furniture from a private collection, previously owned by famed Scottish

playwright and literary figure, James Morrison. The combined lots from the

Morrison collection realized nearly $87,000.

"We are exceptionally pleased with the results,” states Wes Cowan, President

and Principal Auctioneer. Moreover, he notes that “After our inaugural sale in

August, 2011 we were very cognizant of focusing on quality offerings.  This

sale was a validation of that focus; prices were strong across the board."

The next Asian Art Auction is scheduled for July 2012; exceptional consignments

are currently being sought for this sale. For inquiries, please contact Graydon

Sikes at Graydon@cowans.com or 513.871.1670.

About Cowan’s Auctions, Inc.

As one of the nation’s leading auction houses with sales approaching $20

million, Cowan’s has been helping individuals and institutions build important

collections for more than a decade.  The company’s seven divisions of American

History, American Indian and Western Art, American and European Fine and

Decorative Art, Historic Firearms & Early Militaria, Asian Art, Ceramics, and

Jewelry hold semi-annual cataloged sales that routinely set records for rare

offerings.

Through its extensive mailing list of more than 35,000 collectors, dealers and

institutional clients, each Cowan’s auction typically attracts more than 1,000

bidders from across the globe.  To learn more about Cowan’s visit our website

at [1]http://www.cowans.com/.